Daś Mahāvidyās
Adīshakti, or the primordial energy, is worshipped as the Divine Mother in Hīndu tradition.
"O Devi,
Shiva is powerless without you."
~Saundarya Lahirī
Adī Sankarachārya sings the glory of Mother Divine saying the it is Shakti which puts Śiva to work.
Coming to the meaning of Vidyā, we can say
सा विद्या या विमुक्तये।
which goes as Vidyā (knowledge) is that which liberates, hence Mahavidyā corresponds to one which leads to eternal liberation.
Going by the Tantric tradition Daś Mahāvidyās are an important part of the Devī sadhana.
The Mahāvidyās, different projections of the Divine Bhàgvatī (भगवती), are representations of different kinds of energies a person possess in himself and are invoked for specific sadhanas.
The ten Mahāvidyās in order are Kāli, Tāra, Śodashi (Tripura- Sundarī), Bhuvanēshwarī, Ćinnamasta, Bhàiravī, Dhumāvatī, Bagàlamūkhī, Mātangī and Kamalā (or Kamalātmikā).
When asked by Shiva not to go in the Yajña being performed by Prajapati Daksh, Satī surrounds Shiva with the 10 form of define manifestations called Mahavidyās.
When Śiva asks Satī about the form She explains to him about the different forms of Mahavidyās. She explains he is surrounded by 10 Mahavidyās in 10 cardinal directions with Kalī in front, Tārā at the top, Bhàiravī below, Ćinnamasta to the right, Bhuvàneshwarī to the left, Bàgalamukhī at the back, Dhumāvatī in Ajñeya, Kàmalatmikā in Nairutī, Mātangī in Vayavyà, and Śodashī in Ishānyà direction.
I have explained about each of the Mahavidyās along with their dhyān shlokās with best of my knowledge.
Kāli is the first Mahavidyā & the fiercest too. Kāli, considered as the Goddess of time (the controller of काल) & change, presides over the time before the creation of the universe. Kāli is represented as the consort of Lord Shiva.
Her abode being cremation grounds and her weapons are Kripana & Trishul, she appeared out of Goddess Durga to defeat the demon Raktabija, as it goes in the Devī Mahātamya of Mākandeya Pūrana. Raktabija, which means blood-seed, was able to clone himself out of the dripped blood on the ground.
शवारुढां महाभीमां घोरदंष्ट्रां हसन्मुखीं
चतुर्भुजां खड्गमुण्डवराभयकरां शिवां
मुण्डमालाधरां देवीं ललज्जिह्वां दिगम्बरीं
एवं संचिंतयेत्कलीं श्मशानालयवासिनीम्।
Tārā, the blue-hued Mahāvidyā, is the Goddess who offers ultimate knowledge and gives salvation & also known as Neel Saraswati (though not an equivalent form). Her weapons are Khadga, Sword & scissors.
प्रत्यालीढ पदर्पितानङ्गघ्रिशवहद्धोरट्टहासापरा
खड्गेन्दीवरक लिखर्परभुजा हुङ्कारबीजोद्भवा
खर्वा नीलविशालपिङ्गग्लजटाजूटैकनागैर्युता
जाड्यन्न्यस्य कपालकर्तृजगतां हन्त्युग्रतारा स्वयम्।
Mā Śodashi is the third Mahavidya, also visualised sometimes similar to Devi Tripura Sundari. As the name suggests Goddess Shodashi is the most beautiful in all three worlds. In Mahavidya, She represents Goddess Parvati or also known as Tantric Parvati.
Devī Śodashi is also depicted and worshipped as the great Srī Yantrā.
She is also known as Lalithā & Rajarājeshwarī, represented as a 16 year old girl & is believed to embody 16 types of desires. Mantra to worship maa Shodashi also consists of 16 syllables.
बालार्कमंडलाभासां चतुर्बाहां त्रिलोचनाम्
पाशाङ्कुश शरांश्चापं धारयन्तीं शिवां भजे।
Mā Bhuvanēshvarī is the 4th of the 10 Mahavidyā Goddesses. She is also known as World Mother and personifies the whole universe. As name suggests she is the queen of all the worlds and rules the whole universe. She relates to Trīpura Sundarī in many aspects.
Bhuvanēshvarī is known as Ādi Shaktī i.e. one of the earliest forms of Shakti.
In Her Saguna Rupa, Mā Bhuvanēshvarī is known as Pārvatī. In appearance Mā Bhuvanēshvarī resembles Tripura Sundarī. Bhuvaneshvari is the color of the rising sun with the crescent moon in her hair.
Her feet on the ground depicts her dominance, She being the ruler of the three Lokās.
उद्यद्दिनद्युतिं इंदुकिरीटां तुङ्कुचां नयनत्रययुक्ताम्
स्मेरमुखीं वरदाङ्कुशपाशाभीतिकरां प्रभजे भुवनेश्वरीम्।
Bhàiravī is the 5th of the 10 Mahavidya. She is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Goddess & in nature hardly indistinguishable from Kali. Being the consort of the Bhàirava which is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with the annihilation She is the mightiest primordial energy.
Mā Bhàiravī is seen mainly as the Ćandī in the Durgā Saptaśatī who slays Ćanda and Mūnda. Mā Bhàiravi is portrayed with two strikingly different iconographies. In one Mā Bhàiravi resembles with Mā Kāli while in the other iconography, resembles with Mā Pārvati.
उद्यद्भानुसहस्रकान्तिमरुणक्षौगां शिरोमालिकाम्
रक्तालिप्तपयोधरां जपपटीं विद्यामभीतिं वरम्
हस्ताब्जैर्दधतीं त्रिनेत्रविलसद्वक्त्रारविंडश्रियम्
देवीम्बद्धहिमांशुरत्नमुकुटां वन्दे समन्दस्मिताम्।
Mā Ćinnamasta is the 6th of the 10 Mahavidyās & She is known as the self-decapitated Goddess. She is also known as Praćanda Ćandika. There are several legends about her origin. However most of them suggest that she beheaded herself to accomplish a greater & noble cause.
The iconography of Ćinnamasta Mā is fearsome depicting a self-decapitated Goddess holding her own severed head in one hand & a scimitar in the other hand. Three jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck and are drunk by her severed head and two female attendants, Dakini and Varnini.
प्रत्यालीढपढां सदैव दधतीञ्छिन्नां शिरंकर्तृकाम्
दिग्वस्त्रां स्वकबन्धशोणितसुधाधाराम्पिबन्तीं
मुदनागाबद्धशिरोमणिं त्रिनयनां हृद्युत्पलालंकृताम्
रतयासक्तमनोभवोपरि दृढां ध्यायेज्जवासन्निभाम्।
विवर्णा चञ्चला दुष्टा दीर्घा च मलिनाम्बरा
विमुक्तकुंतला रुक्षा विधवा विरलद्विजा
काकध्वजरथारुढा विलम्बितपयोधरा
शूर्पहस्तातिरुक्षाक्षा धूतहस्ता वरान्विता
प्रवृद्धघोणा तु भृशङ्कुटिला कुटीलेक्षणा
क्षुत्पिपासार्द्दिता नित्यम्भयदा कलहास्पदा।
Bàgalamukhī is the 8th of the 10 Mahavidya combination of Bàgala and Mūkhī. Bàgala which is distortion of the original Sanskrit root Valga (वल्गा) means bridle & also headgear used to control a horse.
Hence Bagalamukhi means one who has power to control and paralyze the enemies.
As per legends, when a huge storm erupted over earth which threatened to destroy whole of the creation, all the Gods assembled in the Saurashtra region and prayed to devi. Pleased by the prayers of the Gods, Mā Bàgalamukhī emerged from the Haridra Sarovara & calmed the storm. Although Mā Mātangī is compared with Goddess Saraswatī, She is often associated with pollution & impurity.
Dhumāvatī is the seventh of the ten Mahavidyā Goddesses. Devi Dhumāvatī is an old widow and is associated with things considered inauspicious and unattractive. She is always hungry and thirsty who initiates quarrels.
In characteristics and nature She is compared with Goddess Àlakshmi, Goddess Jyéshta and Goddess Nirritī. All these three Goddesses are embodiment of negative qualities but at the same time worshipped at special timings of the year.
मध्ये सुधाब्धिमणिमण्डपरत्नवेदी
सिंहासनोपरिगतां परिपीतवर्णाम्
पीताम्बराभरणमाल्यविभूषिताङ्गीं
देवीं नमामि घृतमुद्गरवैरिजिह्वाम्।
Mātangī is the 9th of the 10 Mahavidya Goddesses. Like Goddess Saraswatī, She governs speech, music, knowledge and the arts. Hence Maa Matangi is also known as Tantric Saraswatī.
त्वयि जातापराधानां त्वमेव शरणं शिवे!
बहुत अच्छा 😊
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